Ephesians 2:3

An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

All of us [Jews] also once lived among such people, fulfilling the improper cravings of our physical being and doing what our bodies and minds desired. In this natural [unconverted] state we were deserving of [God’s] wrath, just like the rest [of mankind].

Cross References

Mark 4:19

but worry [over things] of the world, and the deceitfulness of material wealth, and the evil desires for other things entered their hearts and choked [the effectiveness of] ‘the word,’ so that it did not yield a crop [in their lives].

John 1:13

[Such people] were born of God, not of blood ties [i.e., from physical descendants], nor of the will of the flesh [i.e., merely from a sexual desire], nor of the will of man [i.e., from a husband’s desire for offspring].

John 8:44

You belong to your father the devil, and you are [always] wanting to do what your father desires. He was a murderer from the [very] beginning [Note: This is probably a reference to Satan’s influence on Adam, Eve and Cain in the Garden of Eden] and does not stand for the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he only speaks what is part of his nature, because he is a liar and the father of [all] liars.

Acts 14:16

God allowed all nations to go their own way in past generations,

Romans 1:24

So, God allowed [or, abandoned] them to have the impure desires of their hearts, and to [practice] degrading behavior with their bodies among themselves.

Romans 11:30

For you Gentiles were disobedient to God in the past, but now you have obtained [God’s] mercy by means of the disobedience of the Jews.

Romans 13:14

But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and do not make any plans for satisfying the strong desires of your flesh [i.e., your appetites for sinful pleasures].

Romans 2:14

(For when the [unconverted] Gentiles, who do not have the Law of Moses, instinctively practice [some of] its requirements, they become their own lawmakers, even though they do not have the Law of Moses.

Romans 5:10

And not only is this true, but we also rejoice in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have been restored to fellowship with God.

Romans 5:9

For if while we were [God’s] enemies, we were restored to fellowship with Him through the death of His Son, now that we have been restored, how much more [certainly] will we be saved [from condemnation] by His life!

Romans 6:12

So, do not allow [the practice of] sin to rule your mortal bodies, so that you obey its desires.

Romans 7:18

For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh, for the desire to do good is present in my heart, but the ability to carry it out [consistently] is not.

Romans 9:22

What if God [did] patiently put up with people who deserved His wrath and [who were] ready for destruction, even though He was willing to demonstrate His wrath and power?

1 Corinthians 4:7

For who makes you different [from each other]? [i.e., with some being viewed as superior and others inferior] And what do you have that you did not receive [from God]? But if you received it [from Him], then why do you boast as though you did not [receive it as a gift]?

2 Corinthians 7:1

[So], since we have these promises [See 6:16-18], dear ones, we should purify ourselves from everything that pollutes [our] body and spirit while living lives completely separated [from sin], out of reverence for God.

Galatians 3:22

But the Scriptures indicate that everything [i.e., everyone] is under the control of sin, so that the promise [of never ending life] could be available [only] to those who have faith in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:2

You practiced such things when you lived according to the evil ways of this world, and according to the ruler of the [spiritual] powers of the air. [Note: This refers to Satan, whose influence permeates life around us]. He is the [evil] spirit who is now at work in people who are disobedient [to God].

Ephesians 4:22

You were [taught] to put away [the conduct of] your former lifestyle, your old person who is being corrupted by deceitful desires,

Colossians 1:21

And though you were once estranged [from God] and were enemies [of His] in your mind because of your evil deeds,

1 Thessalonians 4:13

But we want you to be informed, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep [in death] so that you do not grieve, as other people do [i.e., the unsaved], who have no hope.

1 Thessalonians 5:6

So then, we should not be [spiritually] asleep, like the rest [i.e., the unsaved world], but we should be alert and sober [i.e., in control of our senses].

1 Timothy 6:9

But those people who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and [spiritual] destruction.

Titus 3:3

For we [Christians] were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various kinds of [evil] desires and [sinful] pleasures. [We used to] live in malice and envy, hating people and being hated by them.

1 Peter 1:14

As obedient children, do not pattern your lives after the evil desires you formerly had when you were ignorant,

2 Peter 2:14

Their eyes are filled with sexual lust, and they are never satisfied when it comes to sinning. They entice unstable people and have hearts trained to be greedy [i.e., they continually desire the possessions of others]. [In this condition] they are under God’s curse.

2 Peter 2:18

[Although] their talk is big, what they say is worthless, and by [offering people] fleshly desires [i.e., sexual gratification], they lead people astray, who are barely escaping from the error of the world.

1 John 2:16

For all that makes up the world, namely, the improper desires of the physical body, the improper desires for what is seen, and the [boastful] pride over life’s possessions; these are not from the Father, but from the [godless] world.

1 John 2:8

Yet, I am [also] writing to you about a new commandment [Note: This commandment was to love one another as Jesus loved them. See John 13:34]; its truth is [being demonstrated] by Christ [perfectly] and [also] by you people [in a lesser measure], because the darkness [of sin] is passing away, and the real light [of righteousness] is already shining [in people’s lives].